Topic: Need new tires...Should I go tubeless?

[ClintonRH]

I hate my knobby tires on the road. I used to ride the 7 miles to Flatwoods on my mountain bike pretty regularly. Would do a lap then come home. Since I went tubeless I never do. I hate riding those tires on the road. They're way to squirmy without tubes at the pressures I run them at.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE tubeless tires. I think it's the best possible upgrade for the money. I would never go back to tubes for trail riding.

Maybe at a higher pressure I would be perfectly happy with them on road but at the pressures I prefer for trail riding they're downright scary with how much they squirm on pavement when turning at speed.

[Scott]

Like PEB,Factor and SFG said tubeless with a smaller knobby for commuting if you are doing that I use the Specialized fast track which seems to work everywhere we go and on my 13 mile rides to Carter do fine on the road with low pressure also

For even less rolling resistance check out the  Specialized Renegade. I hear people talk of flat repair all of the sudden becoming harder because you are tubeless? Either way you are installing a tube, where is the problem. If you maintain your sealant by adding a scoop every 3 months, other than some catostrophic failure you will not be repairing flats.

[steve]

So true Scott

[Darrinw2001]

Jen,


I have these tires and I love them - http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_520440_-1_202179_10000_202325

[Scott]

Jen,


I have these tires and I love them - http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_520440_-1_202179_10000_202325

Run with tubes, these are about as good as it gets

[Redriderpro]

Those look like WTB Mutano Rapters only smaller and 20 grams lighter, and cheaper.

[Sirbikesalot]

Dumb question here but if you get a flat with tubeless and your on the trail how do you find the hole in your tire?

[Darrinw2001]

Dumb question here but if you get a flat with tubeless and your on the trail how do you find the hole in your tire?

you wont have to if you have sealant.. the tire will seal right up..

[Тгірlе Т]

you wont have to if you have sealant.. the tire will seal right up..

Not completely true.  The puncture could be too big for the sealant to handle.

[Тгірlе Т]

Dumb question here but if you get a flat with tubeless and your on the trail how do you find the hole in your tire?

Carry a tube as a back up in case of emergency.

[Darrinw2001]

you wont have to if you have sealant.. the tire will seal right up..

Not completely true.  The puncture could be too big for the sealant to handle.

Then in that case it would be spurting fluid everywhere.. no problem finding the hole...

[Тгірlе Т]

no problem finding the hole...

I hope not. 

[RiskEverything]

If you don't like sliding in the corners, get WTB Weirwolfs. I've run them for 4-5 years and still have one of my originals (just replaced the other original after it sat in a hot car and exploded  ).

I run them tubeless (even two that aren't supposed to be tubeless) with sealant and I only replace the sealant when the tire won't hold air on its own. That's usually closer to a year than 2-3 months. I've had plenty of punctures, but none that caused a flat!

I also run my tires at 40psi front and rear, which is way more than most everyone else. This is good for less rolling resistance (speed!) but worse for traction... except that these tires still grip so well that I have NO problems with traction! They don't even slide on wet roots!